Community Information: Vancouver, West Side

The City of Vancouver is divided into East Side and West Side at Ontario Street (near Main Street). The West Side has several well-established neighbourhoods, each with its own character and unique features.

Housing and Zoning

The West Side has some of the most expensive housing in the Greater Vancouver region. See our Market Tracker for current house prices.

The West Side contains different types of housing ranging from small bungalows, through condominium complexes to multimillion-dollar waterfront estates. Older "character" houses are popular on the West Side and you can expect to pay a lot for them.

Although much of the housing is single family housing, several neighbourhoods such as Downtown, the West End, False Creek and Fairview Slopes have primarily apartments and townhouse developments.

For details visit the City’s Planning and Land Use section on their Web site.

Shopping, Dining and Entertainment

The West Side is a shopper’s paradise and attracts people from all over Greater Vancouver. Downtown shopping revolves around Robson Street, with its designer fashion stores, and Gastown, a popular tourist destination full of small boutiques and gift shops.

Fourth Avenue, in the heart of Kitsilano, is another trendy shopping spot. Browse through the upscale boutiques, gift stores and bookstores or grab a bite to eat at one of the many restaurants and cafes. South Granville Street and 10th Avenue also have excellent shopping.

Downtown is home to General Motors Place (hockey), BC Place (football), the Queen Elizabeth theatre, the Vogue and Orpheum theatres and "movie theatre row" on Granville Street.

Parks and Recreation

The West Side is blessed with an abundance of parkland and over 50 kilometres of beaches. Walking along the water you can go from Kits beach to Jericho, Locarno, Spanish Banks and "clothing optional" Wreck Beach.

Stanley Park, Pacific Spirit Regional Park, VanDusen Botanical Gardens, Queen Elizabeth Park, and dozens of smaller neighbourhood parks offer a wealth of recreational opportunities within the city.

For more information visit the City of Vancouver Parks and Recreation site.

Transportation

Downtown Vancouver is only a 10 to 20 minute drive from most other areas in the West Side. Access to bus routes, SkyTrain stations and bikeways, makes it easy to get around without a car.

Education

The West Side is part of the Vancouver School District.

• A list of public schools and information on special programs can be found on the Vancouver School Board Web site.
• A list of Independent schools is available at the Federation of Independent School Associations’ Web site.
• For school rankings, visit the B.C. Ministry of Education site or contact the New Vancouver School Board for detailed school profiles.

• The West Side is home to the University of British Columbia and Langara College. Vancouver Community College, the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) and Simon Fraser University all have downtown Vancouver campuses.

Community Services

The West Side has a full array of community services. For details visit the City’s Communities section on their Web site.

Other Web Sites

• City of Vancouver
• Tourism Vancouver
• Vancouver Magazine
• West End’s English Bay